antimony

noun

an·​ti·​mo·​ny ˈan-tə-ˌmō-nē How to pronounce antimony (audio)
1
2
: a trivalent and pentavalent metalloid element with atomic number 51 that commonly occurs in a brittle, metallic, silvery white crystalline form and that is used especially in alloys, semiconductors, and flame-retardant substances see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of antimony in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Similarly, miners helped revive the use of antimony, which had been used to make yellow glass and pottery glazes in ancient Egypt and in parts of Europe up until the fourth century. Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 11 Dec. 2024 Japan's $26 Billion Discovery Could Change Its Fortunes By Ariel Cohen and Wesley Alexander Hill 22 On Dec. 3, China banned exporting critical minerals such as gallium, germanium, and antimony to the United States. Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024 And in a move that affects all US auto manufacturers, China has banned the exports of three key rare minerals — gallium, germanium, and antimony – used to make semiconductors. Steve Banker, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024 After the latest round of tech trade restrictions last week, China retaliated by banning exports of the rare elements gallium, germanium and antimony — cutting off at least half the U.S. supply, based on data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for antimony 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English antimonie, from Medieval Latin antimonium

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of antimony was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near antimony

Cite this Entry

“Antimony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antimony. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

antimony

noun
an·​ti·​mo·​ny ˈant-ə-ˌmō-nē How to pronounce antimony (audio)
: a metallic silvery white element that is used especially in alloys and medicine see element

Medical Definition

antimony

noun
an·​ti·​mo·​ny ˈant-ə-ˌmō-nē How to pronounce antimony (audio)
plural antimonies
: a trivalent and pentavalent metalloid element that is commonly metallic silvery white, crystalline, and brittle and is used especially in alloys and semiconductors and in medicine as a constituent of various antiprotozoal agents (as tartar emetic)
symbol Sb
see Chemical Elements Table

More from Merriam-Webster on antimony

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!